THE OREGON NATURALIST. 27 



flight hundreds of miles south of the equator. EVOLUTION AND DISEASE. 

 The natural theoiy suggested is the failure of 

 the food sujiply or the changing conditions of 



the weather. Birds are not at all punctual in (Continued from Page 12.) 



their arrival until the middle of April, as the It is well established that the increased use 



earlier visitants are generally those that pass of a part, tends to enlarge and to strengthen it. 



their winter in the slates. The song That disease on the other hand often leads to 



sparrow is undoubtedly the first spring visitant i's diminution and enfeeblement. Structural 



although it often passes its winter liere in Mas- modifications thus are indeed inherited. 



sachusetts. The following, appear in order as The truth of the first part of this statement 



the vernal tide increases, including the bluebird niay be demonstrated by a simple experiment, 



robin, phoebe and golden-winged wooduecker. Let the arm of a healthy person, be firmly strap- 



The meadow-lark might also be placed in the P^d for several consecutive days upon a splint, 



above list. The blackbirds passing the winter i" ^ few days the muscles will be softer than 



througnout the Southern States make their ap- usual and actual measurements will show that 



pearance in March, the red-wing, crow, rusty, the limb has diminished in size. Allow the arm 



bronzed grackle and cow-bunting representing to resume its function; the lost ground will be 



the family. The swallow tribe appears in New quickly recovered. 



England by April 15th, one species, the white- When a young and vigorous person has the 



bellied, often by the first of the month. The misfortune to lose a limb, the remaining arm or 



purple martin enters the United States early in leg being used for all purposes, will rapidly in- 



February and speeding northward, arrives in crease in size and strength' The same facts 



Ohio by March 20th and New England by niay be observed in dogs and cats who have lost 



April 15th The c.ifi" or eave swallow is a bird a linil^ o>- a part of a hmb. 



of wide range, extending its summer sojourn to A woman in the Baltimoie City Hospital had 



the Artie shores and its winter rambles to South- lier great toe amputated, three months ago, 



ern Mexico. The thrushes spend their wmter the wound having entirely healed, the second 



in the tropics. The hermit arrives in New Eng- toe has enlarged and stands out from its fellows, 



land from the swamps and everglades of the in such a way as to resemble in size and general 



Gulf States in April; within a month he passes apperance the lost toe — indeed when the foot 



onward to the deep primeval forests of New was exhibited to a class of students this large 



Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where it breeds. second toe was mistaken for the hallux. This 



The brown thrush appears by Apiil 25th. observation is of interest, the large size of the 



Of the family of warblers, the yellow-rump is fiist toe and the great development of its muscles 

 umdoubtedly the first to arrive, quickly follow- are owing to the greater use and importance of 

 ed by the pine-creeping, while the snow still the hallux in mammals which mantain an erect 

 lingers in unsheltered localities. The former position when walking upon the ground as in 

 winters along the Atlantic coast from Massachu- man, or climbing trees as in monkeys. Hum- 

 setts to the West Indies, migrating with the phreys, in reference to the large developement of 

 red-poll. Nearly .nil of the family sing in passing, this toe, says "Man literally stands in the ani- 



The Br.ltimore oriole and rose-breusted gros- mal world on his great toe", 



beak enter the United States in March and ar- The same remarks ajjply to the thumb in 



rive in New England by May loth, taking their man, increased function develops its special 



journey northwards very leisurely. muscles, thickens the bone and toughens the 



The chimney swift arrives by the 201 h of nail. 



the same month and the kingbird by the fiist. I" man we may attribute the disproportion 



C. B. Hadley, Arlington Heights, Mass. of the hallux and poUex, in comparison with the 



